2020-06-07T12:04:03Zhttps://digital.csic.es/dspace-oai/requestoai:digital.csic.es:10261/452012019-08-06T10:28:09Zcom_10261_129com_10261_6col_10261_382DIGITAL.CSICauthorVítek, Petr2012-02-07T08:06:21Z2010Philosophical Transactions, Mathematical Physical & Engineering Sciences A 368:3205-3221 (2010)1471-2962http://hdl.handle.net/10261/4520110.1098/rsta.2010.0059The hyper-arid core of the Atacama Desert (Chile) is the driest place on Earth and is
considered a close analogue to the extremely arid conditions on the surface of Mars.
Microbial life is very rare in soils of this hyper-arid region, and autotrophic microorganisms
are virtually absent. Instead, photosynthetic micro-organisms have successfully
colonized the interior of halite crusts, which are widespread in the Atacama Desert. These
endoevaporitic colonies are an example of life that has adapted to the extreme dryness
by colonizing the interior of rocks that provide enhanced moisture conditions. As such,
these colonies represent a novel example of potential life on Mars. Here, we present
non-destructive Raman spectroscopical identification of these colonies and their organic
remnants. Spectral signatures revealed the presence of UV-protective biomolecules as well
as light-harvesting pigments pointing to photosynthetic activity. Compounds of biogenic
origin identified within these rocks differed depending on the origins of specimens from
particular areas in the desert, with differing environmental conditions. Our results also
demonstrate the capability of Raman spectroscopy to identify biomarkers within rocks
that have a strong astrobiological potential.engclosedAccessAtacamaextremophilesMarsBiomarkersCyanobacteriaPigmentsMicrobial colonization of halite from the hyper-arid Atacama Desert studied by Raman spectroscopyartí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://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/45201/1/restringido.pdfFileMD59604f11744191f2c5a9b7182e2d65ffa22195application/pdfrestringido.pdfURLhttps://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/45201/4/restringido.pdf.txtFileMD5d3c472b48241e68827e4270f6edb356a366text/plainrestringido.pdf.txt